Weight Class: 125 Pounds
Name: Angel Escobedo
School: Indiana

What was it like avenging an earlier loss in the season to Iowa's Charlie Falck?

"It was great. The first time he beat me he scored off of my shoot. He just kind of shut my offense down. I knew if I brought my offense to him that it would be a better match."

Escobedo describes the winning move that propelled him to the finals.
"He rode me the whole time. He was tough on top and I was just like, 'I have to find some will to win…something just to pull out that I've never used before.' That was a move that I've never hit in my life. To get to the NCAAs you have to use every strength and ability you have to get to the finals."

What is your confidence level heading in to the finals against Minnesota's Ness after beating him three straight matches?

"It's confidence but it's not overconfidence. I know how dangerous he is. He is a great wrestler and we've had great battles, so I know I'm going to have to bring my 'A' game tomorrow."

What is it like being the first wrestler on the mat during the semifinal rounds?

"It's awesome; you know no one is going to want to leave because they want to watch wrestling. It's great; it's a confidence booster to hear the crowd going crazy. When the fans are just going nuts, it pumps you up. It gets your adrenaline going."

Weight Class: 125 Pounds
Name: Jayson Ness
School: Minnesota

What was your mindset during the final moments of your quarterfinal match?
"You never give up. You never know what's going to happen late in a match. [My opponent] was tired, I'm tired, but good things are going to happen if you wrestle hard for seven minutes."

How difficult is it to wrestle an opponent several times in a season?
"It's really tough because both guys know what each other is going to do. Every time we wrestle it's going to be a close match. It's always a barn burner with him."

What are your thoughts on your rematch with Indiana's Angel Escobedo in the finals?
"It's going to be a great match. He's a tough competitor. It's just going to be a matter of wrestling hard the whole seven minutes. I'm going to have to really fight to get off of the bottom. I can't let him ride me out all day long."

What is it like being the first wrestler on the mat during the semifinal rounds?
"It's a lot of fun. It's really exciting. It gets your heart going. It gets your adrenaline pumping. Your emotions start running high and it's a really fun experience." 

Weight Class: 133 Pounds
Name: Coleman Scott
School: Oklahoma State

What factor did riding time play in your semifinal win against Illinois' James Kennedy?
"I knew it was going to be part of the match. Any time you can ride somebody like that it obviously helps. I was able to ride him, but just let up a little bit in the third [period]."

What is going to be your preparation and expectations heading into your finals match against Iowa's Joey Slaton?
"It's the national finals. It's going to be the most intense match of both of our careers. I know that and he knows that. I'm just looking for a good match, and it's going to be fun. I'm excited."

How did last year's finals loss in the NCAA Championships help you this year?
"I have learned a lot. I was a little nervous going into that match, and also very disappointed. I got the only takedown of the match last year and lost; that doesn't happen too often. I just have to have a better match this year and look to walk away with that title."

What would it mean to cap off your senior campaign with a national championship?
"Everything; it's everything I've dreamed about. This is where I've wanted to be. I have no more chances. This is it for me."

Weight Class: 133 Pounds
Name: Joey Slaton
School: Iowa

Can you describe your takedown against Michigan State's Franklin Gomez in overtime that propelled you into the finals?
"It felt good. I had a tough time getting to him. He was skating around the edge like my last opponent, but that's alright. I stayed on the attack and it paid off in the end."

How does it feel to come back and reach the NCAA finals after having to sit out a year for transferring from Virginia Tech?
"It feels good. It's paying off now. That year [of sitting out] helped me and I feel good about it now. It was definitely worth it. I would have gone where ever Coach Brands went because he's the reason I went out there."

How did the Big 10 Conference Championships prepare you for the NCAA Championships?
"I have learned that you need to be ready for every match. Two of my matches…one I ended up winning and the other I lost to Gomez. I wasn't ready and I wasn't prepared mentally. I didn't get a good enough warm up, and I think that's the biggest change this weekend."

What are your thoughts heading into your rematch against Oklahoma State's Coleman Scott in the finals?
"He is going to come after me. He's going to throw everything he has at me but I'm going to be mentally and physically prepared for this. I am ready; I have been training my whole life for this. It's my goal to win [the championship]. It's been my goal since I was a little kid. It feels good to get to the finals, but I have to pick it up one more notch to win it."

Weight Class: 141 Pounds
Name: J. Jaggers
School: Ohio State

On his approach…
"Obviously the first thing I wanted to do was pin him. It was actually my third cradle this weekend that I've had pretty close to pinning the guy.  Some refs may call that, but I guess when you have a match of that magnitude, a lot of people don't want to see it end early."

On beating wrestlers ranked higher than him…
"Not that I'm holding a grudge out there because some ranking service doesn't rank me or anything. I look at the rankings, don't get me wrong, and I get mad when I see where I am, but I know what I can do and my teammates know what I can do because they see it every day.  Sometimes the outsiders don't know what you can do until you show them."

On his head coach…
"He's going to go down as one of the greatest coaches of all time.  Look what he did for us.  He took our program from 45th to 10th."

On his championship opponent, Chad Mendes…
"I know he's got a gator roll.  He's tough.  I practiced with him a few years ago when I was a 149 and he was a 125.  He was tough as nails then too.  We both had to beat some great kids.  It should be a great match."

On how he is performing…
"It's definitely the highest level I've been at.  I'm peaking at the right time.  The thing I've probably done better this tournament than previous is getting my finishes.  It's probably the area that I've improved on the most based on past tournaments."

Weight Class: 141 Pounds
Name: Chad Mendes
School: Cal Poly

On the early stalling call…
"I thought it was a little bit of a quick call, but it happens, and you can't let those things get in your head.  I looked at my coach and he told me not to worry about it and I just kept wrestling and I kept getting at it."

On how he felt during the match…
"There were a few times in the match I was pretty nervous.  Nathan's [Morgan] a tough guy, but I knew if I could keep my head in the game and kept wrestling I could get him."

On last time he faced Nathan Morgan…
"I feel he was a lot more aggressive.  The match before I feel he hesitated a bit, but he was really coming after me a bit more.  He was trying a bunch of shots at once, while last time he would pick and choose.  He was really trying to ride me out this time."

On his riding ability…
"The last month and a half or so I've been getting into riding.  I've always liked to dominate on my feet, but I've been taught a lot of things on top.  I feel really strong up there and I feel that it really helps me.  I feel strong and ready to win it."

On last year…
"I was at 125, and I was cutting a lot of weight.  My natural pre-season body weight was around 153.  It was a pretty drastic cut.  I hurt my elbow early last season and I wasn't able to keep my weight down since I couldn't wrestle.  I figured if I went more towards my natural weight for my senior season I'd feel better on the mat."

Weight Class: 149 Pounds
Name: Bubba Jenkins
School: Penn State

On the last time he faced Brent Metcalf…
"Last time I went after him and I was up 6-1, but he came back how he does and I couldn't fight off the storm.  Then another time my plan was to sit back and wait on him, but that's just not my style.  We've got some strategies, and I'm just going to go out there and wrestle my best."

On how he felt during the end of his semifinal match…
"I knew when he took the injury timeout that he was gasping for air and I felt I had another two minutes in me with just 45 seconds left.  I just had to dig in there and get it."

On his World Championship from the past summer…
:It definitely gave me confidence.  I'm terrible on bottom, and if you don't get taken down you'll beat anybody.  I just worked towards being comfortable and being in close matches.  It definitely helped me."

On how he feels when his teammates lose…
"Losses for my team refocuses me for my match.  It makes me zone in and get ready.  I feel that coach got let down on that last one, so I'm going to try and pick him back up."

On his approach against Darrion Caldwell
"We had some film on him and we saw that he scores points early.  We felt if we could stop his flurry in the beginning, we'd be able to do some damage.  I retaliated with my offensive explosions and just went after him.  I just went after him really."

On how finishing strong helps the program…
"It's very important.  We only came with seven guys and we had five guys in the championships going for it.  Last I saw we were tied for sixth, but we're only a few points out of second place.  It helps us in recruiting and it helps us as a program to keep inching up and keep inching forward."

Weight Class: 149 Pounds
Name: Brent Metcalf
School: Iowa

On how getting scored on early affects his approach...
"You get scored on early then you've really got to come on strong.  You can't let the match go on longer and longer because he'll get more comfortable.  You've got to get more scores and get him out of his comfort zone."

On restoring Iowa's wrestling tradition…
"That's our goal, that's my goal, that's the entire programs goal.  We want to regain the dominating force that Iowa had in the past."

On Bubba Jenkins…
"He's a dangerous wrestler.  He's tough on those quick little shots and I'm going to have to be on my A-game.  I'm just going to have to say on my offense and stay where I'm good."

On if matters who he wrestles…
"I want to go out and wrestle the best guy.  This is the national tournament and you've got to be ready to face anyone.  Bubba Jenkins is the one that stepped up and he's the one I want to wrestle."

On where he is seeded…
"Seeds don't really matter.  You want to be the No. 1 seed because it says you're the best, but I don't put much emphasis on it.  I don't hope to get better than a certain number.  I just go out to perform and wrestle my style."

On his passion for wrestling…
"The hand to hand combat.  It's a fight.  I don't see it as a thing of strategy.  It's a hand fight.  It's to see who is the better man.  That's the attitude I take to it.  If you're going to wrestle me, you're going to go through seven minutes of hell.  If you can beat me then I congratulate you, but know it's going to be tough.  That's the kind of wrestler I am and the mentality I take to it."

Weight Class: 157 Pounds
Name: Mike Poeta
School: Illinois

On wrestling Vallimont:
"I think it's a big time rivalry just because of how good he is. It's tough to beat a guy three times especially when he's pissed off at you… I'm happy with the win."

On the score of the match:
"I wanted the score to be as lop-sided as possible. Those matches are going to give my mom a heart attack.  I got two good shots on him and took him down and he got a take down. He was in on my legs a lot. In the previous two matches we wrestled…this was the first time he was able to finish. With this match being on the biggest stage, I think I panicked a little bit when he was scrambling a little better.  So I think if we wrestled that match at Penn State or Illinois in a smaller gym, I don't think I would have panicked a little bit."

On Jordan Leen:
"The only thing I know about him is he beat my roommate at CA nationals about four years ago, Joe Bowman. Other than that, I don't know anything."

On being a #1 seed:
"It's kind of BS that they took Vegas crumpled them up and threw them out. It really doesn't make sense to me; punish wrestlers for something they have no control over. But you know it doesn't matter whether you're unseeded or seeded; every guy has an opportunity to win this tournament.  It really doesn't matter where they put you if you're going to win you're going to win. It doesn't matter who you have to go through."

On panicking in the big stage:
"None that was a big one… tomorrow is about having fun and wrestling hard. I got that one out of the way. The match last year I lost in that round left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth. It was a guy just like [Leen], someone I beat earlier in the year. That was the big one. I was probably more nervous in that round. Tomorrow I'm just going to have fun."

Weight Class: 157 Pounds
Name: Jordan Leen
School: Cornell

On how important it was to set the pace:
It was very important. Mat wrestling is where I feel most dominant and anytime I can get a 1st period take down and be able to get right to the mat with a lead. I feel great about that

On battling injuries through the year:
"It's unbelievable. I feel like the luckiest kid alive right now.  I know I got one more to take care of to reach my goal.  I'm going to try to stay focused on that. But it has been an injury-ruled year and it's been really the first time I've dealt with that in college. It was very difficult for me and very difficult for our coaches to sit back and not wrestle. I love to train about as much as I love competing. I like being in the mix; I like scrapping, and so that was tough for me. It really tried my patience; it tried my character a lot. I feel like I've grown up a lot though it. Sometimes at nationals you get lucky even though you haven't had the best year. So I feel good about that."

On his injuries:
"I had various knee injuries. I had surgery over the summer. An injured MCL and LCL in my other leg and had some ankle problems also. It was kind of a chain reaction getting injured and being impatient and coming back to early. That's been kind of the story of this year."

On preparation for the tournament:
"I feel like the conference finals when I got beat, it was a blessing in disguise.  And looking back I realized all year when I'd get to wrestle I'd want to wrestle every second. Push, push, push, push, and that's not always my best tactic. That's not where I'm most successful. I pushed my way right into losing in the conference finals. It taught me right before nationals sometimes you have to sit on a lead. What a blessing. Sometimes if a guy is not going to attack just keep a low stance and get the "W." I've had to do that a couple times this tournament. Lesson learned for sure.  I feel lucky about that.

On wrestling 157 as opposed to 149:
"I did it by choice and our coaches are very flexible and just really supportive.  When I decided I wanted to go up they supported me. The biggest adjustment was at the beginning of the year and realizing that these guys are a lot stronger and more explosive off bottom.  Wrestling on top used to be a given to me. I felt like I could ride anybody and then I had these guys with tree trunk legs underneath me blowing out of there.  It did take the year to adjust as far as riding people but I felt like quickness is a quality of mine that I've tried to use a lot and quickness seems to be even more quick the bigger you get. So I kind of like that." 

Weight Class: 165 Pounds
Name: Mark Perry
School: Iowa

On the winning takedown:
"I just didn't do a real good job creating action. I didn't really wrestle how I wanted to but probably out of anyone I've ever wrestled, he's extremely difficult to get to his legs. I've never really come close. He's satisfied with winning 3-2 and I think he'll be that way the rest of his career. It's just his style. He's really difficult to wrestle for me.  I finally got him in a flurry. I had him in a cradle. If it weren't 10 seconds left I would have turned him over and possibly pinned him. It was tight. I had the feeling he was trying to step back and look for a reversal so I let go and dropped to the leg. Whatever you want to call it, it's just super wresting in a big match like that. When it's that late in the match you have to get out with the win. It was definitely a takedown though. I took the safe way and I'm back where I want to be."

On awarding the takedown:
"I just remember going out of bounds and I heard his coach yell 25 seconds. I knew he was going to try and make something happen because he didn't want to go to the ride out. So I just stayed down low. I knew he was going to come in. When he came in with a bad shot I took advantage of it creating a flurry and the score that I needed." 

On the atmosphere of the crowed booing:
"It's what makes wrestling fun.  This is what I've wrestled for my whole life. It's a lot of fun. I don't really understand the whole booing concept in general. Half the people booing haven't even been out on the mat before. I don't know what they were booing about but maybe it was because he's from Missouri. I would like them to be on my side but it's all fun and games." 

On the same feeling as last year:
"I feel better as far as more important. My whole life I've wanted to be a part of a team national championship. I think we're doing pretty well. We might be on our way to doing that, and for me to help out and contribute means the world to me.  That's my number one goal this year, to be on a national championship team, and we're wrestling pretty well right now."

Weight Class: 165 Pounds
Name: Eric Tannenbaum
School: Michigan

On strategy against Perry:
"I'm pretty much going to try to do the same thing as last time. Two weeks have gone by; I don't think there's much he could have worked on. I don't think he is going to be in better shape or have new technique, so that's good. I'm sure at this level and at this point strategy is going in a lot. I would imagine he is switching his strategy up a little bit more to try to change the outcome from last time.  Basically I'm going to try to stay on the attack like I did last time. I know that's his game and hopefully I work through them right."

On what it feels like to possibly be a champion:
"It's a good feeling. Its something I've worked for, for 15 years.  It's great to have this opportunity. I think this tournament didn't start off great. The first match I felt a little flat-footed but as it went on I've been feeling better.  Sometimes I tend to be a little cautious, like that last match. I think I could have opened up more and come out with a big win. There are some shots I see that I don't take. I think over all I'm just ready to get into the finals and open up and have a great match and hopefully come out on top."

Weight Class: 174 Pounds
Name: Steve Luke
School: Michigan

On overtime: 
"I never expect any match to go into overtime; a lot of times it just happens. It's a long tournament. It's the second day. It's hard to get yourself up for every match. You wrestle a match and then take a little break and then come back and warm up again and get yourself set. I've had a lot of overtime matches in my career; I'm usually pretty good in overtime."

On margin of error: 
"We knew we had no margin for error. Our goal coming into this was to win a team title but we had a few upsets here and there. It's the NCAA tourney, there's upsets every round." 

On intimidation facing #1 and undefeated: 
"No. I've wrestled Gavin 5 or 6 times in my career. He beat me the past two times in overtime. We know each others style, It's like a chess match." 

On training with Eric Tannenbaum:
"This year we haven't wrestled live as much. I have a hard time scoring on him because we know each other's style."  

Weight Class: 174 Pounds
Name: Keith Gavin
School: Pittsburgh

On what is different this year: 
"My whole year was different. Last year I was in a weight class with Ben Askren. Ben took a lot of attention off of me. Now there's a lot more pressure on me, which is good. I do well under pressure."

On respect: 
"I'm not from the Big 10 or the Big 12 so I think it's pretty common that we don't get as much attention as the other guys." 

On site neutrality: 
"No matter where you go, Iowa is going to have the most people here." 

On mentality: 
"I think I wrestle better relaxed and calm."

On end of the match:
"I was pretty confident that eventually I was going to get a takedown. I came close one or two times, and he never really had me in any danger. I just stayed patient and knew it was coming. 

Weight Class: 184 Pounds
Name: Jake Varner
School: Iowa State

On wrestling style adjustments due to low scoring: 
"Not really. I try not to change my style to match theirs. I wrestle my match. They take shots on me, and I try to work my shots in there as well."

On wrestlebacks: 
"Those guys are important. People think just because they lost, that they can't do anything but those are big points. They are probably a lot more important than I am for the team race. They are doing their job and I'm really proud of those guys."

On finals this year: 
"I just go out there one match at a time. I just make sure I go out there and wrestle my match. I'm obviously excited to be back." 

On dissatisfaction with performance: 
"You have those matches where you aren't real happy with, even though you win them. I could have done some things different, but I'm happy with how I've been wrestling. Sometimes guys don't always show it, but I just take those matches and put them behind me. That's what I've been doing this whole tournament. Even though I don't think I've been wrestling my best, I've gone out there and gave my all. 

Weight Class: 184 Pounds
Name: Mike Pucillo
School: Ohio State

On today's performance: 
"I didn't really want to go into overtime. I don't think anyone really wants to. But sometimes that's what you have to do to come out on top."

On what made the difference in overtime:
"I've been working a lot on riding. If that comes up, I know I have to hold him for 30 seconds. We've been working on that a little bit in practice and I think it paid off."

On Missouri crowd: 
"I didn't even think about it until I looked up right before the match. I saw this huge section, and I was like 'why is this section so big' and then I realized that it's pretty close to where they're (Missouri) from."

On Jake Varner: 
"I'm just going to try to do what I've been doing. Try to stay on the attack. I haven't wrestled him in three years so I'm sure a lot has changed. He's gotten a lot better; I've gotten a lot better. It's going to be a good match and hopefully I have more points than him in the end." 

Weight Class: Heavyweight
Name: J.D. Bergman
School: Ohio State

On making finals:
"It's pretty much reaching a goal that I've had for more than 3 years. 

After getting third in this tournament freshman year, I had '3-time NCAA Champ' as the background on my phone. The next year I change it to '2-time NCAA Champ,' and it's just been 'NCAA Champ' after placing fourth last year. This tournament is incredible. Your first round match might be as hard if not harder than your final match. It's a testament to Division I college wrestling. I really thought I could be the national champ for the last three years, but wrestling is though. It's not just the physical part, which I think is harder than any other sport, it's the mental aspect of it too. It really feels good to get into the finals."


On having to go through consolation in previous years:
"It was heartbreaking losing in the first round all three years. The first two times were in overtime matches. I think that was my head getting me. Still, it felt really good coming back and getting third. Last year, I if I would have taken third it would have made a world of difference. Last year I didn't really recover mentally from losing my last match for a month or two. Last year was a rough year."

On moving up to heavyweight:
"There is definitely a difference. I didn't think heavyweight was a big deal, but it turns out it definitely helps to have more energy. Tommy [coach] was a big influence in the decision to switch. He was actually worried that I would only be 215 when I got to NCAA. He didn't think I would be able to keep the weight on because I sweat a whole lot when I work out. I lost twelve pounds in two practices last year, just in tights and t-shirts. It turns out gaining and keeping the weight is not a problem at all. I was up to 250 and felt a little sluggish in Big Tens so I dropped down to 240."

On Tommy Rowlands as a coach:
"Tommy is a big personality. It's really nice to have him on the staff and have him in the room. He travels a lot with his international competition. We don't wrestle everyday, but whenever I need him he's there."

On being in the finals:
"It's a little surreal to me because I said and believe I could have been a national champ for a while now. I've pretty much beaten everybody in my weight class. Actually getting there and doing it, you reach times in a crucial match, like the one I just had where he [Prendergast] had a takedown and was choking me and had his legs on top of my head. You get to a point where  you wonder, 'Do I want to win this match bad enough?' You cannot quit at all. You have to have that focus in the match, before the match, after the match."

On team rank:
"Having Ohio State be #2 right now is incredible. We believed we could contend for a national title this year. We have the men to do it. Getting there and doing it is just an awesome feeling. It's good to actually get it done."

Weight Class: Heavyweight
Name: Dustin Fox
School: Northwestern

On takedown in the last period:
"I don't think people appreciate how hard it is to get out there and just go. In the big matches it's harder to find that takedown early but the early takedown is really important. When you are in the third period and you are tied it's really important to get that takedown. That's when you have to bring your great stuff, what's going to work.  I feel like I'm really well trained, that's why I can capitalize on those situations."

On being loose before a match:
"It's really important for me to stay that way. Some wrestlers get really uptight and that's what they have to do. When I do that I just shut down and lose confidence. When I act like everything's okay, like my normal self, that's when I happen to function the best."

On Bergman:
"I went to Ohio State and was recruited by him. We trained together for two or three years. I've known him off and on for 7 years now. He's a great guy and I respect him alot. When he moved up to heavyweight I was like "oops, your mistake buddy". Obviously I want to win. I have to beat him if I want to win nationals. Fortunately, I've been successful twice. I can't say enough about JDs character but tomorrow I've got to win. There is no guy I'd rather wrestle in the finals. He's a really hard competitor. There is no one I'd rather take the national championship away from. On the other hand there is no one I'd rather win the national championship other than me."

Pressures and expectations on being #1:
 "The turning point this year was the dual at Wisconsin. The match came down to me and I was really uptight for some reason. It's just not like me. At that point I thought, "Why am I wasting so much energy being nervous? Why am I trying to control the things I can't?". I took a long hard thought about it. My coaches sat me down and told me to just be myself and not get nervous. somehow I found a way to channel my energy before Big Ten's. Thankfully I won Big Ten's and hopefully I come away with a national title."